-
Big girls on the pole
-
Do not be discouraged because it is hard, or you cannot physically do it right now! Make that be the driving force to prove everyone, including yourself, wrong! When I first started I could not do a pushup to save my life, and it was not because I was overweight, I was just out of shape! But I continued to work on pole, and myself, and now I have no problem with pushups. (I actually somewhat like them!)
If you do not try the things that are hard for you, you will never get better at them! Failure should not be something we fear, but something we embrace as a way of life, and use that to better ourselves in the future.
Keep working it, and you will be surprised at where you go! Also, never compare yourselves to others. Focus on yourself, your flexibility, strength and musicality. Everyone takes different amount of focus and strength for different moves. Do not be discouraged.
-
Physics tells us you need more force to lift more mass. So if some things don’t come easily to you, it’s because you need much more strength than someone skinnier to execute the same move. It is what it is, nothing you can change.
I personally see it as something I need to deal with, and I almost look at it positively. All my extra weight is making my body get stronger. I’ll lose weight in due time, meanwhile I might as well milk it for all it’s worth.
As for the girls who don’t have the same struggles, I agree with others that they have their own struggles. Ignore them and focus on your journey.
-
Thank you everyone for being fantastic.. Guess I’m just stressed about it all with my doctor on my case about losing weight.
I appreciate the help. Was never able to afford classes or anything major (I saved up for over 2 years before I was able to buy my pole; then a further year to buy veena’s lessons, being a student and all.) and sometimes do get discouraged. I sometimes DO need something to compare myself too, cuz I don’t see much improvement in myself. Ah well, thank you again to everyone! -
There is a very inspirational woman on FB named Roz Mays. She is a fabulous plus size pole dancer at Body and Pole in NYC and we all think she is just fabulous. If you need to feel good about yourself NOW and what you’ll be able to do SOON, check her out.
-
I too am sad to hear that so many larger woman are having tough experiences in class. I am 5’3 and weigh 210lbs and I’ve been dancing for 4 years. I wear whatever I want to class–cheeky shorts and bra tops, as well as a few other fun extras. My confidence to do so came from pole dance. More than anything else, it has been a journey towards loving myself despite what others may think of my body. It takes me a touch longer to get certain tricks, mainly inversions, but that is all a part of my personal and pole journey. You have to love your body and your own experiences. Play with your strengths and keep pushing forward. Never compare your journey to others and celebrate every ounce of progress, including reaching out here on SV.
-
I also recommend looking up Roz the Diva. I am taking a workshop with her in a few weeks. You have so many allies. The pole world is an incredibly diverse space. Happy Poling!
-
I think anyone, any shape, any size, can learn to find their strengths and Rock the Pole! 🎸
-
Hi Rosie. I like your hair in your avi photo, pink rocks!
I’m a fellow big girl, started pole dancing classes at 5’7†and 183 lbs. Can I also mention that I started when I was 37, was not really flexible or strong, and have thunder thighs and cellulite? You’re right. It sucks to not be able to move around and do moves like slimmer and/or stronger girls (and in my case younger girls!), because let’s face it, you sometimes can’t help comparing yourself to others, no matter that you know you shouldn’t. In fact, I was so self-conscious that for the first several months of going to class, I refused to wear shorts; I would just roll my sweat pants up! Like you, what kept me going was that I loved pole dancing. The choreo classes made me feel very sexy, alive, and able to achieve. Additionally, the pole dance instructor in that class was bigger than me (taller and weighed more) but she was so graceful and elegant it was an inspiration. But every time I was sore, every time I felt a callus growing, and every time I became bruised, I felt victorious. Because it meant I was getting stronger when I didn’t feel like I was getting strength, and it made me see I was progressing, even when I didn’t see any progress.
When it came to classes she didn’t teach, however, and classes that just focused on tricks and spins, I found myself getting discouraged again, not from lack of trying but from lack of achieving, based on strength or flexibility. What to do about those feelings of disappointment? Well, after a good frustration cry (!), I started attending the pole fitness conditioning classes and doing yoga more regularly, in addition to the pole classes. I set a goal for myself of achieving an invert by the end of summer (2.5 months), did yoga before class, and practiced specific holds every time I went to class (for me it was the reverse grab hold and the pole ab crunches). So basically, I upped the fitness ante and set some specific goals that allowed me time to achieve them, which helped me not feel bad when I couldn’t get them as soon as I wanted. By the end of the summer, I had my basic invert and my reverse grab. By the end of 7 months from beginning pole dancing, I had a 25 sec clip of me doing a combination of 3 moves/tricks that let me know my work and efforts paid off. By the end of 8 months, I performed a routine that got me noticed by the studio owner, and now I teach classes as a sub at the studio and host pole parties. So you have to give yourself time and set specific goals (instead of, I want to do EVERTYTHING) but also believe in yourself that you can do it because you are working hard to do it.
As far as the weight loss, I can only speak for myself, but I didn’t really lose weight from pole dancing. I became stronger, and had lost inches, but for me pole dancing is only enough to help me maintain my weight. So after a year of pole dancing, I began other exercise routines in the interest of becoming a better pole dancer. I began a high impact cardio 2x/wk (Zumba) and a moderate boot camp 2x/wk, in addition to the pole dancing and yoga. And I modified my diet by not eating out at restaurants as much as well as by reducing my sugar intake. After 4 months of this program, I did lose weight and accelerated my muscle gain. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with how these results improved my pole game. But I don’t think I would have been able to start the additional exercise, and stay with it had it not been my deep abiding passion for pole dancing to motivate me.
-
Rosie I feel the same! Feel very alone even when I watch things on here no big girls I have seen do it. I get lots of slack for me being a pole dancer too. I was also the biggest in my studio but the girls there were the best thing to happen to me. Sadly I moved and have no studio so I have been on here. I don’t progress nearly as quick as I wish in a studio setting and my pole is not the best :/ so it’s easy to get discouraged and think “it’s not sexy when I do it” but obviously we both have the love for pole and a passion and that ultimately is what keeps me going. You can add me on facebook if you would like 🙂 stephanie cannizzaro. And congrats on keeping up with the program! I am 5’6 and 230 pounds. I thought I would never do a pole hold either… well once I moved I said I better practice that more…and lo and behold I can do it!! And do leg pull in now! I hadn’t tried a pole hold In 2 months. So I think it’s so awesome when you finally achieve something how great you feel! Stick with it!
Log in to reply.